Tag: Cook

Calendar of the Moon

13 Nion/Anthesterion

Anthesteria Day 3: Khutroi

Color: PurpleElement: EarthAltar: Upon a purple cloth set a great jug of water, the ship of Dionysos, a wreath of grapevines, nine purple candles, and a cauldron in which are many beans.Offerings: Food. Feed people in the community.Daily Meal: Beans and lentils and rice. Grains cooked with honey. Only water to drink today. A great meal should be prepared, and many people from outside the community should be invited, especially those who are in need. If there is not room, the meal may be cooked and taken to the appropriate shelter or soup kitchen.

Khutroi Invocation

After the joy of the vine,
We come to water and work.
Water of the flood, which washed away
Our ancestors, may you give us
Only aid, and may we not see
Your terrible aspect, drowning the millions.
Work of the world, the greatest of which
Is the giving of sustenance to those who have none.
As we come to a better understanding
Of what it is to be past childhood,
After the day of joy and mirth
We come to the threshold
Of work and toil for the good of others.
For this is truly the mark
That we have passed youth and innocence:
When we realize the Fate does not
Take care of everyone, including we ourselves,
And that we must stand in for Fate
And alter the order of the world,
Giving of ourselves that others may survive,
And thus become Fate.
On this the Day of Pots
We open our cooking fires
To the rest of the world.

(All depart and proceed to the kitchen, where the meal is prepared in silence, with all meditating upon the effort that it will take to feed all that they can, and what that means to one’s understanding of oneself as a mature being connected to the web of life.)

No one really likes to clean, but we all know we feel better when our physical space is tidy. It’s one of life’s necessary chores. Start your spring off with a good thorough cleaning, and then follow that up with a spiritual cleansing. This is a great ritual to perform at Imbolc — remember that for many of our ancestors, washing came only a few times a year, so by February, a house was probably smelling pretty ripe. Pick a bright sunny day to do a clean sweep, and then invite friends and family to join you in a blessing of your home.

First, do a complete physical cleaning of your house. Put on some music and thoroughly clean every room. Strip sheets off the beds, turn the mattresses, dust every surface, and vacuum every floor. Sort through those piles of paper on your desk, and get rid of things you don’t need to keep; file everything else. Gather up the kids’ toys and put them in baskets for easy storage. If you need to get rid of things, do it now — set aside a box for charity and put gently used items in it. Set aside another box for trash, and see if you can fill it up!

Once your house is clean — and this assumes you did the kitchen as well — it’s time to have some fun. Call up some friends and invite them over for a potluck. Cook up some Imbolc-themed comfort foods, such as Braided Bread or Beer Battered Fish & Chips, and have a small potluck celebration. Ask each guest to bring a small token to bless your house — pebbles, shells, interesting bits of wood, beads, etc.

You’ll also need the following:

A bowl of water

Some sea salt

A smudging bundle of sage or sweetgrass

A blue candle

Some Blessing Oil

A bowl or bag

Begin at the front door — it is, after all, where you welcome guests into your home — and go through the house in a sunwise direction (clockwise). Ask your guests to help you by smudging the perimeter of each room with the salt, sage, candle flame and water. You may wish to say some sort of incantation as they do this, something like:

With the purifying power of water, with the clean breath of air, with the passionate heat of fire, with the grounding energy of earth we cleanse this space.

As you pass from room to room, anoint each door and windowsill with the Blessing Oil by tracing the shape of a pentagram or other symbol of your tradition. This prevents anything negative from crossing into the home. If you like, you can offer a small incantation as you do this, something like:

May the goddess bless this home, making it sacred and pure, so that nothing but love and joy shall enter through this door.

Finally, once you’ve gone through the house, ask each of your guests to deposit their blessing token in your bowl or bag. Keep it in a place of honor in your home — on the mantel or in your kitchen is a good idea. Gather around the dinner table, break out the goodies, and enjoy a feast with your friends and family!

Tips:

* If you don’t have Blessing Oil, you can use rosemary oil instead. Make your own by infusing fresh rosemary in grapeseed or flaxseed oil.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Golden Egg

The Golden Egg denotes the opportunity for substantial material gains. However, the Golden Egg is also a reminder that unmanaged greed ensures what gains are made will be lost.

As a daily card, The Golden Egg suggest that the prospects for you to increase your financial wealth are very strong today. Seize whatever opportunities come your way, but don’t ride them too long or you may find yourself no better off than you were before they came along.

Calendar of the Sun

30 Yulmonath

Obatala’s Day

Color: White
Elements: Earth and Air
Altar: Upon cloth of white set a cup of coconut milk, eight white candles, the figure of an elephant, a white flywhisk, a bowl of white rice, and eight white or clear stones.
Offerings: Rice and coconut milk.
Daily Meal: Coconut anything and rice.

Invocation to Obatala

Great White King
Great White Queen
Pure as the snow
On the tops of mountains,
To sit in your space
On your white cloth
Is to be in the high place
Of objectivity
And perfect justice.
To work with your hands
Is to create life anew
Being both father and mother
Being the healer of wounds
That has no gender
As healing has no gender.
To touch with your vision
Is to see past the flaws
And faults of your children
To a cleaner place of fairness
Upon the high unbroken snow.

Lemon Uncrossing Spell

Light white candles and protection incense. Anoint brow, heart and throat with oil. Put the lemon in the center of your altar and cut it into 4 slices (round).

Chant:“All spells against me congregate in this lemon, that’s your fate. Sour spell to sour fruit, you must go there cause it’s your suit. Bound to this lemon evermore. Each spell against me that’s your store. All in this lemon, now I see, and as my will so mote it be!”

When you feel that the chant has captured the negative thought forms in the lemon, begin to sprinkle the salt on the lemon.

Chant:“Uncrossed! Uncrossed! This salt for me breaks up the attacking energy. As lemon dries in salt and air, I’m freed from harm and all despair. Uncrossed and happy now, you see! And as my will so mote it be!!!”

Use lots of salt and when you are finished, thank all the elements.
Leave the lemon near your altar where you can watch it.
If it dries out, your work is done. If it should mildew, repeat the ritual.

Man goes to a dentist

A man went to his dentist because he feels something wrong in his mouth. The dentist examines him and says, “that new upper plate I put in for you six months ago is eroding. What have you been eating?”
The man replies, “all I can think of is that about four months ago my wife made some asparagus and put some stuff on it that was delicious…Hollandaise sauce. I loved it so much I now put it on everything — meat, toast, fish, vegtables, everything.”
“Well,” says the dentist, “that’s probably the problem. Hollandaise sauce is made with lots of lemon juice, which is highly corrosive. It’s eaten away your upper plate. I’ll make you a new plate, and this time use chrome.” “Why chrome?” asks the patient.
To which the dentist replies, “It’s simple. Everyone knows that there’s no plate like chrome for the Hollandaise!”

It’s ‘National Punch Day’ and since almost every punch recipe uses ginger ale as a main ingredient, today let’s look at how invaluable ginger can be when added to your daily diet. From a physical perspective, ginger is said to quell nausea and motion sickness while aiding digestion. It is also considered a most potent all natural anti-inflammatory medicine, especially useful when treating arthritis or rheumatic complaints. From a metaphysical perspective, ginger is considered a money attractant as well as an effective conduit for communicating with the invisible realms. So whether it’s dispelling debt or creating better digestion, ginger delivers a knockout, one-two punch, even when using just a pinch.

Flaming Apples

Prepare one apple for each person. Use McIntosh or Winesap apples. Wash, core, and peel the skin down about ½ inches from the top. Fill the center with brown sugar and butter. Top with cinnamon. Place the apples in a baking dish with about 1 inch of water. Bake the apples for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove the apples to a warmed serving dish; pour heated cognac over each apple, ignite and serve flaming.